Fashion Briefing: How Copenhagen Fashion Week brands are overcoming industry challenges

This week, a look at Copenhagen Fashion Week as it comes to a close and the featured Scandi brands that are scaling their businesses. Also, investment rounds and executive moves.

Copenhagen Fashion Week, taking place this week from August 5-9, has become a go-to event for Scandinavian brands looking to expand their influence on the global stage. This week, two groups of brands defined the runways: brands that have remained strong, showing season after season, and brands that returned to CFW after struggling with wholesale partnerships and growth.

Forty-four brands hosted runway shows in Copenhagen this season. Both 6-year-old (Di)vision and 5-year-old A Roege Hove returned to the event after two seasons away. During that break, (Di)vision increased its DTC sales, diversified its sales channels and repaired cash flow issues, according to the company.

Wholesale relationships have recently spelled more issues for brands, with multi-brand retailers including Matchesfashion closing down and big retailers missing order payments. Other wholesale-related issues plaguing young brands include the lack of valuable data provided by retailers.

For its part, 25-year-old Baum und Pferdgarten showcased a collection themed “Office Olympics” on Wednesday. “We wanted to encapsulate the energy and excitement of the sports world and bring it into the office environment,” said founder and designer Rikke Baumgarten.

The designers spoke to their own business struggles, with co-founder Helle Hestehave saying, “The state of the world is affecting everything from how much consumers spend to logistics.” The brand has grown to employ 50 people, with an office in the center of Copenhagen. It sells via a flagship store in Copenhagen and its own e-commerce site, and backs a global #BaumFamily ambassador community, which it dresses for events and social posts. Looking ahead, the brand has “a lot of exciting things on the drawing board,” including collaborations with sneaker brand Etonic coming later this year. The founders declined to share revenue information.

In its runway show, sponsored by the beauty company The Ordinary, (Di)vision featured a see-now-buy-now collection. Such sponsorships played a larger role this season.

Birger Christensen Collective, owner of brands Rotate and Remain, partnered with Copenhagen Fashion Week’s New Talent platform to support emerging designers. “With our financial and educational support, Copenhagen Fashion Week can continue to champion the new generation of talents,” said Denise Christensen, CEO of BCC. “We also gain significant benefits from the experience. The program offers insights into the mindset of a new generation.”

Copenhagen Fashion Week regular Rotate, under the creative direction of Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars, opened its first flagship store, in Copenhagen, this week. According to Madsen the store was “an organic progression” and is a strong reflection of the brand.

Over the last couple of years, Rotate has expanded its product offerings to include a wedding collection in 2022 and a loungewear line in 2020, with the latter dubbed Rotate Sunday.

Since its launch, Rotate has consistently been profitable. In 2023, the brand achieved €16 million ($17 million) in annual revenue, marking a 4% increase from 2022. According to Christensen, the brand’s growth has stabilized in recent years.

Marimekko is another Scandinavian brand that has been scaling. Known for its iconic floral prints, the 73-year-old brand showed a flower-focused collection this week for spring 2025.

In 2022, Marimekko mapped out a growth plan through 2027. “We have identified five strategic success factors for the business: Determined sustainability efforts strongly supporting Marimekko’s long-term success, sharpened creative vision to speak to a wider global audience, accelerating growth in Asia, love for Marimekko life, and end-to-end digitality to boost omnichannel growth and efficiency,” said Rebekka Bay, chief creative director of Marimekko. “We are scaling the Marimekko business, especially in international markets.”

The brand’s latest earnings report, for the full year 2023 showed a net sales increase, to €174 million ($191 million), supported by a global network of approximately 170 stores and an online presence in 37 countries. Timed to Copenhagen Fashion Week, the brand launched Marimekko Maridenim, its first denim line, designed for circularity. “We wanted to design denim as if it were invented today,” Bay said.

StockX insights on the state of resale

StockX released a trend report titled “Big Facts: Brands Making Moves” on August 6. Among the insights is that smaller brands are gaining resale market share.

Asics emerged as the fastest-growing sneaker brand in the report’s focus timeframe of the first half of the year. It sales increased 600% year-over-year, while Adidas nearly doubled its sales thanks to the popularity of its retro styles like the Samba and Gazelle. Timberland, Crocs and Saucony, meanwhile, found success through strategic collaborations, boosting sales by 184%, 52% and 93%, respectively.

“Fan favorites Asics and On realize the importance of partnerships to create statement-making shoes,” said Rachel Makar, senior merchandising director at StockX. Asics recently collaborated with Marc Jacobs and Kiko Kostadinov, and On recently collaborated with Loewe. “If Asics’s [success] on StockX is any indicator, mesh-upper running-inspired silhouettes aren’t going anywhere. Brands like Asics and On still have considerable room to grow, despite their continued popularity.”

In apparel, streetwear remained strong. The fashion brand Denim Tears experienced over 1,000% growth, becoming the top apparel brand on StockX. Other brands showing strength included Yeezy and Revenge.

Prada led the accessories category with 560% growth, driven by the Y2K trend and high demand for the brand’s iconic re-nylon collection. Additionally, real-world events influenced sales in the collectibles category, as seen in the sales of Taylor Swift vinyl records and Pokémon collectibles, which surged by 207% and 1,025%, respectively. On the footwear side, run clubs and marathoning also drove trades.

Funding Round

Oregon-based women’s footwear brand Avoli, best known for its volleyball shoes, has closed a $2.1 million seed funding round, surpassing its initial target of $1.5 million. The funding, supported by various investors including Ho Nam, co-founder of vc firm Altos Ventures, will be used to enhance the brand’s working capital, make strategic hires, boost brand marketing and expand the availability of its footwear. Avoli has secured its first retail partnership with North Dakota-based Scheels, which will sell the brand’s footwear in select U.S. stores.

Executive Moves

Industry veteran Eric Liedtke joined Under Armour as evp of brand strategy after the company’s acquisition of plant-based streetwear brand Unless Collective. Before starting Unless Collective, Liedtke was at Adidas for 26 years. He will be responsible for enhancing the brand’s identity and driving strategic growth initiatives while continuing to lead Unless.
Marco Probst has been appointed as the new CEO of fashion brand Adam Lippes, where he’ll work to elevate the brand’s global profile and luxury appeal. Probst’s extensive experience includes a tenure at the luxury bag brand Delvaux, where he expanded its international markets and enhanced its digital channels.
Michiel Steur, British Vogue’s vc of brand revenue, will step down to become the chief commercial officer at i-D Magazine in late October. The magazine is undergoing changes following its acquisition by Karlie Kloss’s Bedford Media.
Effective in October, Eva Erdmann has been appointed CEO and brand president of Kate Spade, a division of Tapestry Inc., succeeding Liz Fraser. Erdmann, who will report to Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat, brings experience from L’Oréal, where she led Urban Decay Cosmetics to global revenue growth.

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